This invention relates to a protector which is mounted under a floor of a vehicle such for example as a hybrid car and an electric car, and has a shielding performance.
FIG. 4 shows one related protector.
A plurality of high-voltage wires 81 are collectively passed through a braid 90, so that this braid shields these high-voltage wires 81. A wire harness 80 is formed by the plurality of high-voltage wires 81 passing through the braid 90. The protector 50 is in the form of a container, and comprises a resin-molded base 60, and a resin-molded cover 70 attached to this resin-molded base 60. When the flattened elongate protector 50 is disposed generally horizontally, the base 60 is disposed at the upper side while the cover 70 is disposed at the lower side. In this specification, the definition of “upper and lower” will be given for the purpose of describing the protector.
The plurality of high-voltage wires 81, bundled together by the braid 90, are received in a receiving portion of the resin-molded base 60 of the protector 50. Thereafter, the upper-side resin-molded cover 70 is fitted on the lower-side resin-molded base 60, thus assembling the protector 50. Engagement portions (each in the form of a rectangular hole), provided at the cover 70, are engaged respectively with projection-like retaining portions 69 formed at the base 60, thereby attaching the cover 70 to the base 60. The wire harness 80, comprising the plurality of high-voltage wires 81 and the braid 90 (which shields the high-voltage wires 81, and bundles the high-voltage wires 81 together), is received in the protector 50 made of a synthetic resin.
Besides the above form of related protector, there is a related wire protector which has an electromagnetic shielding effect, and is lightweight, and is good in processability (see, for example, JP-A-2003-143734 (pages 1 and 2, FIGS. 1 to 6)).
Further, there is a related lightweight joint protector for shielded wires which is capable of shielding a joint portion between the shielded wires (see, for example, JP-UM-A-6-77121 (Pages 1 and 6, FIGS. 1 to 3 and 7)).
Further, there is a related cable-retaining device for a cable which is capable of retaining a cable with a simple construction, and is also capable of shielding the cable (see, for example, JP-UM-A-3-48320 (Page 5, FIG. 1)).
Further, there is a related protective tube for a pipe in a vehicle, in which even when a flipped stone strikes against the protective tube, this impact is hardly applied directly to the pipe, and a buffer performance is greatly enhanced, and a positioning operation is not necessary when mounting the protective tube (see, for example, JP-UM-A-57-75288 (Pages 1, 5 and 6, FIGS. 1 to 7)).
Further, there is a related support device for a wire harness or the like in which even when an impact and vibrations are applied from the exterior, a passing member will not abut against an inner wall of a closed cross-section, so that the generation of noises and damage to the passing member are eliminated (see, for example, JP-UM-A-55-161187 (page 2, FIGS. 1 and 2)).
Further, there is a related protector capable of fixing a bundle of wires without the use of an adhesive tape or the like (see, for example, JP-A-11-234844 (pages 1 and 2, FIGS. 1 to 5)).
However, when the above related protector 50 of FIG. 4 was mounted under a floor of a vehicle (not shown), mud and sand (not shown) occasionally intruded into the protector 50 during the travel of the vehicle (not shown). And besides, there were occasions when the mud and sand which intruded into the protector 50 reached the inner side of the braid 90 through meshes 91 of this braid 90.
When the vehicle (not shown), having the protector 50 mounted thereon, is subjected to vibration, friction develops between the wires 81 and the braid 90. In such a case, when much mud and sand were interposed between each wire 81 and the braid 90, one or both of the wire 81 and the braid 90 were often worn by the mud and sand. And besides, in case much mud and sand were interposed between the braid 90 and the protector 50, one or both of the braid 90 and the protector 50 were often worn by the mud and sand when the vehicle (not shown), having the protector 50 mounted thereon, was subjected to vibration. Thus, the wires 81, the braid 90 and the protector 50 were worn by the mud and sand which intruded into the protector 50, and these parts were deteriorated, and this has been a problem.